Black History Month: Know the past, shape the future

It is another February and another month for Black people all over the world to celebrate. The month is set apart for the celebration of what it means to be Black.

Over the years, Black History Month has been a commemorative programme in honour of the black culture and a response to miseducation and second slavery.

Beyond the celebration, it is also a medium of expression that guarantees pride and honour for all Africans, following the African understanding of self and nature.

This celebration began in the United States of America, 94 years ago, in 1926, by renowned African American scholar, Dr. Carter G. Woodson.

The event afforded Africans and people of African descent to re-enact their struggles and ultimate victory over the negative forces of oppression and man’s inhumanity to man.

The primal purpose of the celebration is to expose the harms of miseducation and to cultivate self-esteem following centuries of socio-economic oppression. It is also an opportunity to recognise significant contributions to society made by people with African heritage.

The yearly event is also celebrated to mark the coming of age of the Black race and to honour the history of its collective heritage as expressing through art, culture and spiritual exegesis.

The book, Revolutionaries Or Martyrs by Wale Owoeye Esq was also launched to mark this celebration.

The celebration has been established to accomplish a number of objectives. They include:

• to ensure the revival, resurgence, propagation and promotion of Black and African culture and black cultural values and civilization.
• to present Black and African culture in its highest and widest conception.
• to bring to light the diverse contributions of Black and African peoples to the universal currents of thoughts and arts.
• to promote Black and African artists, performers and writers and facilitate their world acceptance and their access to world outlets.
• to promote better international and interracial understanding.
• to facilitate a periodic ‘return to origin’ in Africa by Black artists, peoples, writers and performers uprooted to other continents.

This edition promises to be a profound event with a medley of songs, dance, poetry, lectures, art exhibition, drum ensemble, Alarinjo (Mobile Theater) and other performance activities designed to express the year’s theme: Honouring Yesterday Heroes And Tomorrow’s Leaders.

Already, as part of activities to celebrate the month, Anthony Joshua, paid a solidarity visit to the New Afrika Shrine on Thursday, February 20 and was welcomed by the scion Olufemi Anikulapo Kuti and the ever vibrant Lagosians

The sustainable development of Africa was clinically dissected and reaffirmed. It was indeed a moment of celebration and reflection.

Also in participation was Jide Batik of Afropride Art Centre.

The event was organised by Queen Moremi Art Gallery in collaboration with the New Afrika Shrine.

• Alli is a virile Pan Africanist.